Favorite/Best Screenwriter?

I expect a lot of Tarantino-answers, but strain your minds a little bit and come up with some more!

Who're your favorite screenwriters and what is it about their writing that you like so much?

In my opinion, screenwriting (which is what I'm actually trying to get into) is one of the most overlooked major aspects of filmmaking by mainstream audiences and probably even by some movie buffs.

Anyway, some of my favorites:

Charlie Kaufman
Woody Allen
Kevin Smith
Paul Thomas Anderson
Richard Linklater
And... Quentin Tarantino!

I also think that Jonathan/Christopher Nolan crank out some great stuff.

Kaufman is excellent.

Also, Alex Garland, Lucky McKee, Neil Marshall, Coen Brothers, Kevin Smith, George Romero, Cronenberg, and Tom Fontana (An amazing TV writer).

Agree with almost all the above, except for Kevin Smith.

Paul Schrader.

And if we're allowed TV writers, then I have to mention David Simon, Ed Burns and David Chase.

I'll limit my list to writers only. You get into writer/directors, then it's a discussion about filmmakers.

Old movies to present:

Ernest Lehman
Stirling Silliphant
Waldo Salt
Dalton Trumbo
Harlan Ellison
William Goldman
Steve Zaillian

One of the best one-off screenplays, by a man who normally wrote poetry & novels - Deliverance by James Dickey

The work that Charlie Kaufman produces is by far some of the best I have ever come across.

Chris carter
Darabont
M. Night
Mamet
Cameron Crowe

Uwe Boll. 🙂